NEWS

THE SUN ISLAND NEWS

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DECEMBER 9, 2020

IN BRIEF

Historic Preservation Board members sought

The city of Anna Maria seeks two new members and two alternates to serve on the city’s Historic Preservation Board. The board meets at city hall one Tuesday per month. The board’s goal is to locate historic homes, buildings, properties, sites and objects. The board is currently in the process of having the Anna Maria Historical Museum building and property and The Island Players theater building designated as historic. In the future, the board hopes to assist residential and commercial property owners who wish to voluntarily have their structure, property, site or object designated as historic. Board member applications can be downloaded at the city website by clicking on the “Residents” tab at the top of the homepage and then clicking on the “City Forms” tab that appears. Applications can also be obtained directly from the city clerk’s office at 10005 Gulf Drive. For more information, please call 941-708-6130.

Parks members work toward community garden

The members of the Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee are committed to bringing the dream of a community garden to life. During their Dec. 2 meeting, members discussed the intricacies of the work needed to plan and create the garden, outlined the work ahead and discussed how it would be controlled and opened for public use by city residents. First on their agenda is to begin location and design discussions when they meet again after the first of the year. Once plans are created, the idea has to go before city commissioners to approve the location, design and budget for the project before plans can formally begin to take shape.

Commissioners discuss comp plan

Holmes Beach planning commissioners spent their Dec. 2 meeting discussing changes planned for the city’s comprehensive plan, and also welcomed newly-appointed alternate Commissioner Richard Brown. While they made significant progress through the first few sections of the plan, commissioners still have a lot of work to do, including meeting with representatives from LaRue Planning to discuss the results of an online survey designed to help obtain public opinion from Holmes Beach residents, business owners, workers, vacationers and other interested parties. To help form the design for the future of Holmes Beach and lend your voice to the comprehensive plan review process, visit www.larueplanning.com/holmesbeach to complete the survey and learn about the progress already made.

Liveaboard boater found dead

Jerald Oliver was known around Bradenton Beach as “Oliver.”

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – Liveaboard boater Jerald Joseph Oliver, 60, was found dead and floating in the water at the Bradenton Beach Marina on Wednesday.

Marina employee Andy Tolar discovered Oliver’s body shortly before 3 p.m. on Dec. 2, according to the incident report prepared by Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz of the Bradenton Beach Police Department.

“He (Tolar) was walking along the dock and dropped his keys into the water. While looking into the somewhat shallow water to find his keys, he noticed something floating in the water, to his left, just under the dock. Mr. Tolar realized that what he sees floating in the water is a person face down. Mr. Tolar grabs a pole off a nearby boat and tried to reach the person floating. The pole was not long enough, so Mr. Tolar yells for help and two gentlemen that work at the marina – Cory Stickler and Joshua Wilson – came to help. Cory and Joshua got on a boat and went over to the person floating in the water and were able to get him on to the bow of the boat and start CPR,” according to Diaz’s report.

When Diaz arrived on the scene, Wilson was administering CPR.

“As Joshua was doing CPR, I noticed that the gentleman he was working on was bleeding from his left temple and had abrasions on his lower legs. By this time, Paramedic Millard had arrived on scene and came down to the floating dock to take over. Paramedic Millard and I picked up the gentleman and moved him off the floating dock and to a flat concrete surface on land. Paramedic Millard did his assessment of the gentleman and determined that he could not be saved. Paramedic Millard called the time of death at 3:05 p.m. At that time, I began gathering witness information and detailed accounts of what had happened,” according to Diaz’s incident report.

The report notes Tolar, Stickler and Wilson recognized Oliver

GOOGLE EARTH | SUBMITTED Jerald Oliver’s body was found floating under a dock at the Bradenton Beach Marina.

because he had lived on his boat at the marina for many years.

“I talked to another gentleman who had shown up after the incident happened – later identified as Richard Anthony Correa. Mr. Correa stated that he was just at the Drift In bar with Mr. Oliver about 45 minutes before. Mr. Correa and Mr. Oliver were friends and both had a few drinks at the bar. Mr. Correa also stated that Mr. Oliver came up to the bar to get a bottle of alcohol and go back to his boat, which he said was normal for Mr. Oliver to do,” according to Diaz’s report.

“Mr. Oliver was taken by the transport to the medical examiner’s office for further investigation. No further action was taken by me at that time,” the report concludes.

A WELL-LIKED MAN

Bradenton Beach Marina President Mike Bazzy said Oliver lived at the marina for the past four years.

“It’s unfortunate. They think it was a drowning and it looked like he had bumped his head. We tried to resuscitate him, and we couldn’t,” Bazzy said.

“He was a really good guy and there were a lot of people around town who knew him. Everyone around town called him Oliver. They all knew him as Oliver, but his first name was Jerald. He spent a lot of time on Bridge Street,” Bazzy said.

Drift In Manager Doreen Flynn spoke fondly of Oliver.

“He was a really nice man. If

He was a really good guy and there were a lot of people around town who knew him.”

Mike Bazzy, Bradenton Beach Marina President

anybody called him Ollie, he used to say, ‘My name is not Ollie, please call me Oliver.’ He had a heart of gold and he would help anybody. I was very sad when I got the phone call,” Flynn said.

Drift In bartender Sharon Bell said, “Oliver was a character and a half. He did things his own way and never had an unkind word for anybody. He was part of our motley crew and he will be missed. 2020 strikes again.”

Flynn said a celebration of life will be held at the Drift In on Friday afternoon, Dec. 11.

Great blue herons’ nest in jeopardy

The nest is protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act if it contains eggs or chicks, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

BY JOE HENDRICKS

SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA – Seana and Jeff Long are concerned about a great blue herons’ nest located in one of several backyard Australian pine trees at 315 Iris St., across the canal from their family home.

As part-time Anna Maria residents, the Longs divide their time between Seattle and a shared family home on Jacaranda Road that sits across the canal from the home where the great blue herons currently live.

Seana Long said that Sinclair Stewart, the longtime owner and occupant of the Iris Street home, passed away earlier this year after time spent at a nursing home. Long said a member of the extended Stewart family recently told her the property has been sold and the new owner already has plans in mind for the property.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Above is one of two great blue herons nesting in a tree slated for future removal. The great blue herons’ nest is located in one of the canal-side Australian pines at right.

“We’ve known the family for 20 years. The new owners are going to knock the house and the trees down to put in a house with a pool,” Long said last week while standing on her canalside deck.

Long does not know who purchased the property; and that information is not yet available at the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website or the Manatee County Clerk of the Court website.

“I’ve been panicked since I got back on the Island and found out my neighbors were selling. It’s a huge nest and it’s been there for quite some time. We’ve been in this home for 20 years and these birds have shared this canal with us for a long time. The blue herons have been our ‘neighbors’ for at least the last 10 years. They’re great blue herons according to my college roommate’s husband, who is an ornithologist. I’m very concerned about their habitat and their home, and I think they have fledglings,” Long said.

She noted the Iris Street property also has two ground-mounted perches that Sinclair Stewart used for his trained ospreys.

“We know from the sellers that the plans are to tear out all those Australian pines and put in a pool. That would destroy the birds’ home. We

SEE HERONS, PAGE 8

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